Dead man walking?

[OVerLoRDI]

So as some of you might be aware, I purchased a little 2003 Suzuki SV650s back in June. It has been 5 months and about 5000 miles. So far I have been hit twice, in the exact same scenario.

Early August, I was splitting between lanes 1 and 2 in stop and go traffic. A gap opened up in lane 1 and a car in Lane 2 sprang for it. I had no time to react or stop and I came up close and personal with the side of a nice white VW something or other and the nice warm asphalt of Highway 24. I was wearing all my gear and I walked away with just some bruises. The motorcycle came out with some cosmetic damage and a broken rear brake lever. Ignoring cosmetic damage, $450 total in damage. Insurance put other party at fault, I got a check.

Yesterday, I was splitting between lanes 1 and 2 in stop and go traffic. A gap opened up int lane 1 and a care in lane 2 sprang for it. I had no time to react or stop and I came up close and personal with the side of a nice green Honda CRV and the nice warm asphalt of Highway 101 northbound. I was wearing all my gear and I walked away with just some bruises. The motorcycle came out with some cosmetic damage and a broken shift lever ($30 and some time on my part). I also got a witness who was directly in behind me and saw the whole accident.

I think I'm going to start taking 280 on my North-South trips to San Jose. Also, I'm seriously happy with how durable this bike is and also patting myself on the back for getting frame sliders and wearing all my gear. It might be time to reconsider using a motorcycle as my primary means of transportation around the Bay Area freeways. I also need to invest in a GoPro.

 

[xSkyDrAx]

That or make better judgements about the lane splitting. I know it's legal in CA but I wouldn't trust most drivers' reactions when it comes to a motorcycle coming up along side them.

 

[halik]

I don't mean to offend you, my objective assessment is that every rider that splits lanes is fucking retarded. (Incidentally I hold the same conclusion for helmet-less riders).

I've been riding* since I was about 10 years old and I would never engage in such idiocy; people don't see motorcycles as is, which to me suggests that again you have to be retarded to put yourself in a position where drivers will almost certainly not see you.

* last 10 years of bikes: Duc 916, R6 Raven, GSXR600, F4-600,f3-600

 

[Insomniator]

lane splitting lol

 

[Meghan54]

The price you pay by lane splitting. It may be legal, but it's not entirely smart. Car drivers just don't expect to find a bike coming between lanes, so they don't look for them. Sorry.

 

[monkeydelmagico]

You blipping the horn while you split? I assume you have some nice loud FIAM horns too. Gotta keep the cagers on their toes.

 

[Mursilis]

I don't mean to offend you, my objective assessment is that every rider that splits lanes is fucking retarded. (Incidentally I hold the same conclusion for helmet-less riders).

And you'd be totally correct. I can't even imagine the (lack of) thought process that leads to the conclusion that riding without a helmet is a good idea. Even if you're the world's greatest rider, the rest of the world is full of idiots who will be too busy playing with their smartphones while driving to notice that they've killed you.

 

[Greenman]

Put a louder exhaust on your bike. It really does help.

 

[JulesMaximus]

I'm not really sure how you didn't see these incidents happening and avoid them. I've had cars come over into my lane and avoided them, it has happened a number of times in fact. When lane splitting always watch for gaps where cars might try to change lanes, you should be on full alert when passing a car with a gap on one side and you between the car and the gap. I always move over into the gap to give myself more of a cushion in case the car tries to move over. Also, pay attention to the front wheels of vehicles you are coming up behind, I'm not saying stare at them but they will alert you as to what a car is going to do before you notice the car doing it. Generally speaking, a car is not going to move over into another car so as long as the gap between them is wide enough you shouldn't really have to worry about getting sandwiched between two vehicles but when there is open space and you are coming up alongside a car, that's when you should expect a lane change.

I've also found that if you keep your speed down to within 10-15mph of the traffic you are passing that it gives you more time to react. Lane splitting is not really any more dangerous than not splitting, in fact, there have been studies that show it is actually safer.

You are still a relatively new rider so give it time and maybe make some changes to how you lane split and when you lane split before giving up the bike altogether. I generally don't split unless traffic is moving under 20mph and definitely split when traffic is stopped (which actually happens nearly every time I ride now that I think about it). Would have been nice to have ridden to work today. Traffic was just awful on the 15 in San Diego this morning.

 

[Vdubchaos]

If you lane split, you deserve the consequences.

It is dangerous and illegal (in most states). Why put yourself in a bad situation?

 

[JulesMaximus]

If you lane split, you deserve the consequences.

It is dangerous and illegal (in most states). Why put yourself in a bad situation?

Except that it isn't... on both counts, if done prudently.

Nobody deserves to get in an accident, bikers who attack families in Range Rovers not withstanding of course.

 

[Zivic]

Except that it isn't... on both counts, if done prudently.

Nobody deserves to get in an accident, bikers who attack families in Range Rovers not withstanding of course.

it's illegal in my state, but regardless, if OP has been hit twice in 5k miles of riding I would say it comes down to more than just the legality of it. While I agree nobody deserves an accident, well I could maybe say a few people, he should be expecting one

 

[dguy6789]

Lane splitting is insanely stupid don't do it.(Not because of the biker but because of the level of awareness of the average driver)

/thread

 

[vi edit]

With the high beltlines in cars, ever shrinking side mirrors, and the general obliviousness of your average driver splitting lanes seems like a deathwish. People are having a harder time than ever seeing you even if they are looking, and are looking for you even less than ever.

 

[JulesMaximus]

it's illegal in my state, but regardless, if OP has been hit twice in 5k miles of riding I would say it comes down to more than just the legality of it. While I agree nobody deserves an accident, well I could maybe say a few people, he should be expecting one

It is legal in the OP's state. I live in the same state and have been lanesplitting for years and many tens of thousands of miles. 5k and 5 months of riding is very inexperienced so all I'm saying is that maybe that played into it some. I don't know the OP or his riding style but if he has had 2 accidents in 5 months and 5k riding then he probably should change something. Maybe get more training or slow down or not listen to music... I don't know. All I know is that I live in the same state and lane split all the time and have never been hit while doing so.

There is nothing inherently dangerous about lane splitting IMO. If done in a prudent manner it is not unsafe at all and may in fact be safer than sitting in stop and go traffic, despite all the opinions from non-riders to the contrary. :whiste:

 

[JulesMaximus]

With the high beltlines in cars, ever shrinking side mirrors, and the general obliviousness of your average driver splitting lanes seems like a deathwish. People are having a harder time than ever seeing you even if they are looking, and are looking for you even less than ever.

I see a number of newer cars equipped with blind spot detectors built into the mirrors. I think this is a good trend in automotive technology and would like to see it in all vehicles.

 

[vi edit]

I see a number of newer cars equipped with blind spot detectors built into the mirrors. I think this is a good trend in automotive technology and would like to see it in all vehicles.

Are those calibrated to pick up something the size of a motorcycle?

 

[JulesMaximus]

Are those calibrated to pick up something the size of a motorcycle?

Yes, I've noticed them illuminate when riding up alongside a vehicle.

 

[jlee]

Every time I'm in Cali I get surprised by someone on a bike going far above the speed of traffic...last week I was sitting at a light and as it went green, a Harley went by at maybe 20-25mph (everyone was at a dead stop). I'm sure some split safely, but in my (very limited) experience it's not the norm.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Every time I'm in Cali I get surprised by someone on a bike going far above the speed of traffic...last week I was sitting at a light and as it went green, a Harley went by at maybe 20-25mph (everyone was at a dead stop). I'm sure some split safely, but in my (very limited) experience it's not the norm.

It really is the norm. This morning I probably had 15 or so motorcycles filter past me and none of them surprised me or made me think that what they were doing was unsafe. None of them were going much faster than maybe 10-15mph faster than traffic was moving at either (which was under 20mph for quite a bit).

I've been doing this commute for over 3 years now down the 15 freeway in San Diego so I see it every single day, most riders are pretty safe and courteous. Sure, there are a-holes every once in a while but they are the exception for the most part.

BTW-One of the motorcycles splitting today was CHP. He was behind another bike and they were both going the same speed (about 10-15mph above the speed of traffic-which was barely moving).

 

[jlee]

Yeah, this guy flew by...if the light didn't go green, he likely wouldn't have been able to stop in time (looked like he was watching the other lanes go red and planning on the green).

Maybe I just have shitty luck.

 

[SparkyJJO]

I don't get this "lane splitting is safer" mentality. How is cutting between cars safer than occupying a lane? Seriously

 

[vi edit]

I don't get this "lane splitting is safer" mentality. How is cutting between cars safer than occupying a lane? Seriously

I think the theory is that it's better to end up bumped like the OP than pancaked between two vehicles. Think of a situation where you were stopped as you normally would in a lane and another vehicle didn't stop in time and made you the meat bag middle of a metal bunned sammich.

 

[SparkyJJO]

I guess. I've seen some pretty gnarly accidents from someone lane splitting as a car shifts lanes because they couldn't see the guy in the blind spot and they sideswiped at 70mph.

 

[JulesMaximus]

I guess. I've seen some pretty gnarly accidents from someone lane splitting as a car shifts lanes because they couldn't see the guy in the blind spot and they sideswiped at 70mph.

Well, you really shouldn't be lane splitting at 70mph. Nor should you be blasting past cars at WOT with your open pipes. That will get you pulled over and ticketed for sure if a cop sees you doing that.

I think the theory is that it's better to end up bumped like the OP than pancaked between two vehicles. Think of a situation where you were stopped as you normally would in a lane and another vehicle didn't stop in time and made you the meat bag middle of a metal bunned sammich.

And yes, I think one of the most common multi-vehicle accidents is the rear end collision so if you can take yourself out of situations where that type of accident could occur I think it is generally safer to do so.